Tribute to Cardiff's inspiring women

Social design collective thinkARK held an event to document Cardiff's inspiring women for International Women's Day - the result is a display which will continue to be up all week at Chapter Arts Centre.
Geraldine Nichols explains

Tribute to Cardiff's inspiring women

Social design collective thinkARK held an event to document Cardiff's inspiring women for International Women's Day - the result is a display which will continue to be up all week at Chapter Arts Centre.
Geraldine Nichols explains

Ahead of the centenary of International Women's Day on Tuesday 8 March, and to celebrate women in Cardiff, thinkARK (Cardiff's social design collective) held an 'Inspiring Women' event at Chapter Arts Centre last Saturday.

The aim was to gather and document people's stories of women who've inspired them in a fun way, whether members of their family, community activists or famous women.

Many people took part in the event throughout the day, and the result was a fantastic display of messages and artwork tied or pegged to a rotary washing line – used to capture and up-end a traditional focus of women's lives, and to use as a timeline for when in their lives these women inspired them: childhood, teenage, early and later adulthood.

Lots of the messages and memories recognised the inspiring input of mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters and friends, while many of the children who joined in left messages of thanks to their teachers as well.

Touchingly, quite a number of the messages were in remembrance of women important in people's lives, who had now passed away, but their inspirations were still having an influence. One woman described in detail how her sister, who had recently died, was an inspiration not only to her, but to a number of homeless people who she had befriended despite her own problems, many of whom attended her funeral.

The display will be at Chapter Arts Centre for the rest of the week Photograph: Laura Sorvala

Recognition was also given to relatives and friends who had struggled with illness and other adversity, yet continued to be dedicated to raising their children, and remained a support to others.

Inspiring women in the worlds of music, film, art and literature were also featured – on messages made at the event and via the @_inspiringwomen twitter feed. Those mentioned included: Barbara Castle, Margaret Atwood, Frida Kahlo, Alice Walker, Lauren Hill, Pam Grier and Nicole Holofcener.

Duffy, Debbie Harry, Joan Jett and Patti Smith were amongst the women noted in music, as was political folk singer Ani Difranco.

Dr Kelly Page of Cardiff University told thinkARK about the first women professor in the UK - Millicent McKenzie, who was appointed to Cardiff University in 1904.

Other local women nominated were Humie Webb, community activist (nominated by Neil Cocker of Tedx); and Jacquie Williams highlighted her colleagues in the Welsh Women Walking group, who have raised more than £100,000 for charity.

A significant number of messages were left by men and boys, which was welcomed; and the Inspiring Women team spent time during the day raising awareness of the continuing need for International Women's Day.

The display remains in the Chapter foyer all week, where people can still leave messages, and also contact Inspiring Women by email, tweet and text.